Space Witches
by FLAZE35
Summary: Shortly after the end of the Second Neuroi War, humanity had aspired to explore space. Now, in 1951, they've taken a large step by sending five witches up into the sea of stars, but what they discover may make them regret their decision. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**I've finally decided to go ahead and publish my first fanfic. For reviews, be as harsh as you want and point out anything that bothers you. Flames will be ignored.**

Miyafuji Yoshika, twenty-two years of age, sits down before the Zen garden of her traditional Fuso home and listens to the sounds of nature. A stream flows nearby, trees sway in the gentle breeze, and birds chirp overhead. Birds…she looked up in envy at them, flying freely through the open sky. True, she'd voluntarily quit the military to attend a high school, then university in Europe, after the Neuroi threat had been vanquished, but she will never forget the fun she'd had, soaring through the air. The peaceful expression on Yoshika's face breaks into one of sadness. Tears come to her eyes, but she refuses to cry; she still believes.

"Flight Lieutenant Miyafuji Yoshika?" Yoshika composes herself, then calmly looks up towards the voice. Silently, three men, dressed in black suits, had appeared in her hallway. She figures her mother must have let them in.

Standing up, she says, "Yes? How can I help you?"

"Under orders of the United Nations, you are hereby reactivated as a member of the Joint Witch Corps."

Yoshika narrows her eyes. "I retired."

"UN Emergency protocol ninety-four, section seven, stating 'in the face of a potential threat against humanity, all members of the UN shall provide no less that one wing of witches, and one representative commanding officer, to take action against said threat,' is in effect."

Yoshika already knew what it was, the moment he mentioned the protocol ID. The rule had been used (perhaps abused was a better word) multiple times, since the formation of the UN in 1948, to justify actions ranging from the bombing of terrorists in the Middle East, to the invasion of North Korea. "What is it this time? Hunting for the Bermuda Pirates? Blockading Vietnam? Assistance in a coup de tat?"

"That information is classified and will not be revealed without your commitment."

A silence falls between them as the two stare at each other, one with an expression of weariness and irritation, the other completely devoid of emotion. "I. Am. Retired. What part of that didn't you understand? As one of the world's military powers, Fuso should have plenty of witches to spare. I've never been called back on any of the previous occasions! Why now!?"

"As I've said, that's classified."

"Then I'm not going. Leave me out of your politics."

"This is an attempt to preserve humanity."

"Don't give me that! Tell me on good reason why I should go!"

The man turns to one of the agents behind him, who nods. "Perhaps the fact that some of your friends were badly injured, by no other enemy than the one you last fought, will convince you?" Yoshika walks away, then enters her room. "Lieutenant! We need your strength, your experience, for this! We can't-" Yoshika comes out with a single, small suitcase in hand.

"Lead the way. And tell me what happened."

* * *

**Sixteen hours earlier…**

"At this time we will begin a preflight system check. Engines?"

"Engines are go."

"Auxiliary engines?"

"Auxiliary engines-go."

"Cooling systems?"

"Cooling systems are a go."

"Temperature maintenance systems?"

"TM Systems are a go."

"Parachute deployment system?"

"PDS-go."

"Oxygen supply?"

"Oxygen supply at full capacity."

"Emergency shutoff and ejection systems?"

"Emergency systems-go."

"Striker-to-module connection?"

"Secure."

"Launch team, confirm oxygen supply and pressurization of flight suits."

"Group Captain Hanna U. Rudel, oxygen supply and pressurization confirmed."

"Squadron Leader Junko Takei, prepared for launch."

"Squadron Leader Perrine Clostermann, confirmed."

"Squadron Leader Charlotte E. Yeager, ready."

"Flight Lieutenant Patricia Schade, everything looks fine."

"Very well. Launch team, be ready to initiate phase one."

"Roger."

"Launch will begin in t-minus twenty seconds."

After years of testing and calculations, today, June 16, 1951, scientists from around the world will attempt to launch witches into space. The site of the launch was a hotly debated topic, but eventually, because the first person to suggest space travel was Orussian, the United Nations agreed to launch in Orussia. In exchange, they would not be represented in the crew.

"Fifteen."

"Squadron Leader Yeager! Spit out your chewing gum this instant!" Perrine says.

Shirley looks around in surprise. "What? How'd you know?"

"How did I know? HOW DID I KNOW?! I'm sure everyone here could hear you chewing on it through the intercom!"

"It's not that big a deal, Perrine." Rudel says.

"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six."

"Oh. Of course, Group Captain."

"As formal as ever, aren't you, Perrine?" Shirley observes.

"Well of course I am! I can't show disrespect to a superior officer!"

"Heh. Tell that to Lucchini. She still calls Junko, 'Jun-Jun.'"

"Well that's just as bad!"

"It's fine," Junko says. "I don't worry too much about that kind of stuff."

"…I don't either…"

"What was that, Group Captain?" Junko asks.

"…Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

The goal of this mission is to send witches into space. Unfortunately, vessels with breathable environments have not yet been developed, so missions lasting longer than a few hours are out of the question.

"Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

This launch team is using is a unit called the boost module. The mechanism's shape is basically one small cylinder on top of another larger cylinder. Towards the outside of the larger cylinder, there are four slots for witches to insert their space strikers. In addition, one more slot exists in the center of the smaller cylinder. The four witches on the outside would provide steady magical output, while the center witch would steer the unit. Unlike regular striker units, space versions are attached to spacesuits, and cannot be removed without taking the suit off as well.

"Liftoff."

The five witches shift their magic to maximum strength, resulting in a large blue flame forming beneath the missile. The boost module is based off one of the most significant advances in striker unit technology since the 1940s: the jet striker, developed by Ursula Hartmann. For years, Ursula had researched ways to reduce the jet striker's magical drain, but to no avail. Then, through another mysterious letter from Dr. Miyafuji, a magic amplifier was developed, lengthening the career of witches. With this new technology, Ursula realized she could solve the jet striker's problem the other way around. Instead of reducing the magical input requirement, she could increase the user's magical output.

All the witches are pushed down into the boost module as it accelerates upwards through the atmosphere. Its speed exceeds twenty thousand kilometers per hour and continues to go faster.

'Soon, I'll be one of the first witches—no, humans in space!' Shirley thinks to herself. 'It's too bad Lucchini wasn't able to come.' The crew had been determined by selecting one representative witch for each of the top five countries that put the most money into the project. Romagna was not among them. In addition, each member had to be at least a flight lieutenant. Lucchini did not qualify either way.

"Velocity is sufficient to escape Earth's atmosphere. Maintain present speed and you should be fine. Now switching you over to mission control. Good luck. Launch control, out."

After the second Neuroi war, Barkhorn had quit the military to live with her younger sister, declaring she would never join the military again. When asked to fly into space, she immediately rejected the plea, refusing to leave her sister's side. Therefore, Rudel had been selected by Karlsland over Hanna-Justina Marseille and Erica Hartmann, because she always followed orders and held a serious disposition fitting of a representative.

Miyafuji Yoshika had originally been the Fuso representative, but she declined the privilege, saying that there might be other people who need her healing magic while she is gone. Therefore, they selected Takei Junko, leader of the 504th JFW, and currently senior witch instructor of the Fuso Witch Academy. Unlike Mio Sakamoto, who's magic had been completely drained by the Neuroi hive in Romagna, Junko still possessed a small the alternate.

Being one of Gallia's most well known nobles, it was not even a question that Perrine would be selected for the team.

Shirley, as one of the few well-known Liberion witches, was an obvious choice for the Liberion representative. She had broken the sound barrier so it only seemed fitting that she break the height limit for witches as well.

Brittania selected Patricia Schade of the 504th JFW. Her excellent magic control makes her an ideal witch for fueling the boost module.

"We're exiting the atmosphere in a few minutes! Get ready to experience zero gravity!" Rudel is forced to shout over the sound of the engines, even with an intercom.

"Woohoo!" Shirley shouts.

"So undignified." Perrine mutters.

"Did you say something, Perrine?" Patricia asks.

"No. No. Nothing at all."

"Oh, come on, Perrine. It's fine isn't it? It's not like we're being video taped," Shirley says.

'Oops. She heard me.' Perrine thinks.

"Whoa!" Patricia exclaims. All the girls gasp as the force of Earth's gravity becomes weaker

"Interesting. This must be what it feels like to be Perrine," Shirley says.

"Excuse me?" Perrine responds.

"Well with the lack of gravity, my chest suddenly got lighter."

"Could you please be serious for once?! If Squadron Leader Sakamoto were here, I'm sure she'd be ashamed of you."

"Maybe she would. But. It doesn't change the fact that you're flat chested."

Perrine sputters as she attempts to think of a comeback. At long last, she says, "Hanna! Say something!"

"…You called me by my first name."

"I-. Oh. Sorry, Captain."

"It's not like I minded-"

Schade interrupts, "I see something, over there." She points out into the depths of space.

"It's probably a meteor. It'll burn out in the atmosphere," Junko says.

"Wow! A meteor? That's awesome. Can we go in for a closer look?"

"Well, that might be dangerous…"

Shirley objects. "It should be fine, as long as we don't go into its path."

Rudel feels a bad premonition as the group watched the dark shape approach Earth. "We'll go and inspect it from a reasonable distance."

"Roger." Out of surprise, Junko can do little but acknowledge the order.

"...Damn, I wish I had a night patrol witch with me," Rudel mutters.

"Excuse me?"

"Rudel to Mission Control, do you copy? Please respond." Only a faint static can be heard over the radio. The feeling in her gut worsens. "…Either bad weather is affecting the transmission or…" She squints at the object. Then, with and urgent voice, she shouts, "All units, detach from the boost module and prepare to engage!"

"Huh?" Shirley and Schade are slow to react to the sudden order. Junko complies immediately, as does Perrine.

"Squadron Leaders Takei and Yeager will charge the target while Lieutenant Schade and I give long range support. Perrine, approach the atmosphere and attempt to reestablish communications with Mission Control!"

The squad simultaneously replies, "Roger!"

Shirley squints, trying to identify a jet-black figure in the backdrop of space. "It can't be…"

"It is, Yeager. The Neuroi are back."

With determination and anger in her voice, Shirley says, "Then I'll stop them here!" Without further delay, she jets toward the Neuroi at speeds she could never have achieved in the atmosphere.

"Make sure you maintain control while flying! You won't slow down because the force of gravity is weak out here!" Rudel warns.

"Yeah, yeah, I know!"

"In seconds, Shirley appears beneath the small type Neuroi, and begins firing her BAR at point blank range. The bullets impact the target and expose the core. There it is-ugh!" Not compensating for the lack of gravity, Shirley's momentum carries her too far, placing her in a position where she can't see the core. "Someone get the core!"

Junko attempts to get a shot at the core, but misses the opportunity when the Neuroi begins to regenerate.

"Interesting…I don't remember my gun being so strong."

"Again, that's because there's no gravity. The bullets don't slow down," Rudel explains.

Meanwhile, Perrine approaches the edges of Earth's atmosphere, looking for a place where she can contact mission control. "This is Squadron Leader Perrine Clostermann! We are currently engaged in combat with a Neuroi. I repeat, engaged in combat with a Neuroi! Acknowledge!"

At last, she hears a voice over the radio. "...dron Lea…Perrine….ference, cannot…"

Encouraged by this, she continues to fly towards Earth. "Can you hear me now?"

"We read you, Squadron Leader. What is going on up there?"

"We've encountered a small-type Neuroi just outside the atmosphere, most likely with the intent of descending to the surface! Its presence is jamming all nearby communications, so Group Captain Rudel ordered me to regain radio contact."

"…Please confirm presence of Neuroi."

She looks back at the battle. So far, the Neuroi has done nothing but dodge and regenerate. "Confirmed. All other members of the squad are engaged in battle."

"Roger that. Await further instructions." Radioman Andrew Noble did not expect such a development. In his four years of military experience, he'd witnessed battlefronts in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America, but according to the stories of older veterans, none of those matched the terror of the Second Neuroi War. A shiver of fear and anticipation runs down his spine.

General Arthur Grell stands up from his seat in the center of mission control and approaches Andrew. "Give me the radio. I'll talk to them personally."

Andrew salutes, then hands him the headset.

Perrine watches the fight in frustration. She impatiently waits, as ordered, but seeing her friends put themselves in danger while not doing anything simply does not feel right. Finally, someone speaks. "Squadron leader, this is General Grell. Your orders are for you and the rest of the squad to eliminate the enemy. After that, send two witches down with the module, but keep the other three on watch. We'll send reinforcements up ASAP."

"Understood, sir. I will return to my commanding officer to relay your orders. Be advised I'll once again be unreachable through the radio."

"Right."

Rudel sees Perrine in the distance, most likely talking to someone on the ground. She feels slightly relieved, as it is crucial that they know a Neuroi has been found. "Everyone, it seems that space combat is quite a bit different from fighting in the atmosphere, so make necessary adjustments." Suddenly, like a snake shedding its skin, layers of dark material peel off the Neuroi to reveal its bright red stripes. "Looks like it has become serious." As if on cue, its stripes glow brighter, then it emits a red beam. A moment before the laser can hit her, Rudel puts up a shield. When the barrage ends, she realizes blocking the attack used much more energy than she expected. 'Did their lasers get even stronger?...No, I'm getting too old for this, even with magic amplifiers.'

Not expecting any major threats in space, the group hadn't brought much ammunition. Shirley is the first to run out and, without any other choice, pulls out a bowie knife and begins slashing the Neuroi. 'Never thought I'd have to use this,' she thinks to herself.

"Shirley, that's too dangerous! Put some distance between yourself and the Neuroi!" Schade shouts out.

"I'm fine!" Shirley replies. The Neuroi fires another laser, this time aimed at her. As expected of a veteran witch, she forms a shield in time, at close range. Time seems to stretch for Shirley, however, and she begins to feel drained. Then, like glass, her shield forms a crack. Under the pressure of the beam, it spreads across the shield, letting small amounts of heat through. Panic rises in her as burn marks appear on her arms. Then the shield shatters.

"Shirley!" is the last thing she hears before pain overcomes her consciousness.

* * *

**A/N: I'm busy with school right now, so updates may be slow for about a month.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you very much to all those who reviewed, favorite, and followed!**

**Special thanks goes to ZoidsFanatic for giving me some info (more info than I could ever find on Google) on the character of Rudel.**

Junko flies towards Shirley, whose shield begins to crack beneath the Neuroi's attack. Droplets of energy leak through the crevices, burning the witch. As Junko grabs Shirley's arm, her momentum carries them away from the center of the blast, just before Shirley's shield breaks. However, her speed isn't great enough to avoid her right striker unit and Shirley's arm from being caught in the blast. Shirley gasps in pain and passes out. "Takei! You all right?" Schade asks.

"I'm fine, but Shirley isn't. Her suit is ripped. I'm taking her back down."

"Roger that," Rudel says.

Perrine, scared at the prospect of losing another 501st member, begins panicking when she hears that Shirley is injured. "Once you're on the ground, put her down and don't move her unless you have to. And stop her bleeding. And keep her arm raised. And…"

Rudel silences her. "Yes, Perrine, she knows." Rudel watches Junko take Shirley down to Earth as Perrine and Schade attack the Neuroi. Then she remembers something. "They don't have a long range radio, do they…?" While all squad members have an intercom, only she and Perrine have long-range radios to communicate over long distances. Gravity pulls the pair past the point of no return, and all Rudel can do is look on as the pair descends. She shakes her head. 'This isn't the time to be distracted.'

Junko looks up-no, perhaps down is more accurate-as she falls head first towards the ground. As the pull of gravity increases, she puts up her shield to protect herself from friction with air particles. A flame begins to form around the front of the shield, and streams past Junko. She looks ahead to where she will land: The western side of the Joongwo Empire. This is unfortunate. Established by the UN in 1948, the Joongwo Empire, at the time called the Republic of Joongwo, had a coup de tat within a year of its founding, and immediately severed ties from the rest of the world. Its population is made up mostly of natives who had lived there before the Second Neuroi War. They uphold a policy of isolationism because they blame other countries, especially Fuso, for the destruction of their homeland. Back in 1939, during the Fuso Sea incident, it had been the witches who fired first, not the Neuroi. According to the Joongwon, Fuso caused the war. The UN attempted to retake the country and reestablish a democracy, but the fierce battles they waged convinced the UN to leave them alone. Luckily, Junko would be landing on the Western end of the country, which is almost uninhabited, except for the occasional fort or garrison. Should they be caught, they'd likely be convicted as spies and executed.

"Ugh. I hate patrols. We already cleared out this are, so why do we have to watch over it?" Yoshika complained.

"Hehe. You sound just like Hartmann when you say that, Yoshika-chan," Lynnette responds over the intercom.

"Well, they could have at least let me fly with you, instead of assigning us separate regions."

Barkhorn, from the communications office of the 501st's current HQ, reprimands them. "Stay sharp and cut the chatter, you two. Distractions can get you killed."

"Sorry," both witches said in unison.

For a while, nobody said anything. Then, "Neuroi! A large type above the Rhine River!" The distinct sound of Lynnette's Boys anti-tank rifle can be heard over the airwaves.

"Lynne-chan, I'm coming!" Yoshika deviates from her planned course and flies in the direction of her friend.

"I'll be there too," Sanya says. She had been on night watch duty as well.

Barkhorn says, "I'll wake the others," before running out of the radio room.

Lynnette can only manage a grunt in reply, as she blocks a Neuroi beam. As she dodges and shoots, she thinks, 'I've only ever taken out one Neuroi on my own. It was always Barkhorn or Hartmann or someone else attacking it directly, while I kept my distance and sniped.' Even now, after being with the 501st for so long, I'm still useless.' She puts in a new magazine of bullets. 'I guess I'll have to change that.'

"All witches are in the air, Sergeant. Sanya should be there in three minutes, Yoshika in four, and the rest of us in six."

"Roger."

Lynnette blocks another laser. 'In other words, I have three minutes to take it out on my own.' The moment the barrage ends, she jets upward, trying to get above it, but the Neuroi is fast, and moves up as well. Lynne stops and, for a split second, she has an opening to attack. Taking full advantage of this opportunity, she fires her rifle five times, exposing the core. She pulls the trigger one last time-but the magazine is empty. Hands shaking, she reaches into her pocket for another, but a twitch of her hands causes her to drop it. 'Darn it!' She dives after the little box. Then, she realizes her mistake. She'd turned her back on the Neuroi. _Distractions can get you killed._

Yoshika flies at full speed to Lynnette's last reported location. Sanya speaks over the radio. "This is Sanya, I've reached Lynnette and-"

"Yoshika-chan." Lynnette interrupts her. "Thank you for accepting as I am. But in the end I-" Her transmission is cut off.

"No!" Sanya says. Then, her voice is cut off as well.

"Lynnette! Sanya! Respond!" Barkhorn says.

"S-Sanya? I know you're there. This is just a joke, right?" Eila's voice is trembling. "Sanya! This isn't funny! Say something!"

Yoshika feels sick to the stomach as she considers what could have happened. 'At best, Lynne-chan and Sanya's intercoms somehow malfunctioned or broke. They could just be unconscious. Of course, a fall from their height would mean…At worst, they were both…' She shook her head. Even in her mind, she couldn't bring herself to say the word. A rage like she's never felt before boils inside her. Lynne-chan couldn't be gone. It's impossible. Yoshika seems to explode in anger, shocking all members of the 501st. "Damn Neuroi! I'll kill you all if it's the last thing I do!" Yoshika thinks to herself, 'She can't be gone. No. She isn't gone. I'll get my revenge on the Neuroi for injuring my Lynne-chan, and then live a happy life with her afterwards. I will make a world where we can live peacefully. I…I…' She falls unconscious.

Yoshika jolts upright in her seat. Tears stream down her cheeks, but fortunately, everyone is asleep, and it's too dark in the plane to see anyone's faces. Even Agent Yamato, the man who had intruded on Yoshika's life, forcing her to once again become a member of the Witch Corps, had his eyes closed. After Yoshika had passed out, Barkhorn had caught her just in time. The others, save Eila, who was frozen from shock, took care of the Neuroi. When Yoshika woke up, she flew away from the base, without permission, looking for Lynnette. For three days and two nights, she stayed outside, flying over every inch of where combat had taken place. Eila had to be restrained to prevent her from hurting herself. "If Sanya is gone, then I have no reason to live! I'll accompany her to the other side!" had been Eila's last words before being drugged, then taken to a hospital. From that point on, Yoshika's world had become darker, and she no longer cared to socialize. Every morning, she'd wake up and train or condition herself, saying she must get stronger. During every sortie, she'd fly in solo, sometimes taking out Neuroi before her squad mates had time to pull the trigger. Barkhorn approached her regarding this, saying she had been the same way when Yoshika first met her, and that she needed to stop. Yoshika, however, coldly responded that unlike her, Barkhorn's loved one was still alive, to which she could not respond. After every mission, she'd quietly leave the hangar and retreat to her room. The only thing that didn't change was that she still cooked for everyone. No body, nor striker unit, was ever found, so Lynnette and Sanya's deaths couldn't be proven. Officially, they were missing in action, but to everyone else, they were dead. Unlike Eila, Yoshika never acknowledged Lynnette's death. She still believed. She still believes.

A voice comes from out of the darkness. "We're almost there. Get ready," Agent Yamato says. By almost there, he means the plane is now flying over what used to be the Joongwo Empire. By get ready, he means prepare to jump out of the airplane. Without Striker Units. Yoshika shivers at the thought of using something as seemingly unreliable as a parachute. She was doing this to save her friend, though, so she wouldn't complain.

Yoshika finishes hooking up her parachute and approaches the open door of the plane. "So why can't I just have a pair of striker units?" She struggles to be heard over the roar of the engine.

Agent Yamato answers, "Strikers show up easier on radar because they have high energy readings."

"Couldn't I at least take a pair with me?"

"High command didn't want to risk them getting damaged on landing."

"Tch. They need to get their priorities straight."

"Anyway, assuming all goes according to plan, we won't need them." According to the plan, Agent Yamato, Yoshika, and two fully armed paratroopers would find the two witches, get to within ten miles of the Joongwon-Orussian border, then be extracted by witches. A red light flashes on within the cabin. "That's our cue." Yoshika jumps over the edge, with Agent Yamato and the two paratroopers from the Liberion 81st Airborne Division following her.

Shirley lies unconscious on a mattress shaped pile of leaves. Her arms are wrapped in cloth from Junko's uniform. Junko sits nearby, tending to a fire and watching out for movement. Although fire would increase their chances of being discovered, without it, they'd likely freeze to death. In any case, the dense forest around them would block much of the light. She'd given her predicted coordinates to Rudel before falling out of range, so if an extraction team were to come, they'd know the general area to look in. Hopefully, rescue would arrive soon. Although there had been no signs that the Joongwo Empire had noticed their presence, she had been forced to use her striker to land. The few seconds in which she had used her single, functioning Striker unit would be more than enough time for her to appear on radar. If rescue doesn't come, a search party likely will.

Back at the Orussian space headquarters, Rudel speaks to General Grell. "The Neuroi was taken out after forty minutes of combat, but two witches were downed; one injured, the other has a damaged striker unit."

Grell slams his fist against the wall. "A single Neuroi costs two witches and takes forty minutes to kill? You're supposed to be veterans!"

"And we are, sir. However, fighting in space is, as we discovered, quite different from normal combat, and we weren't properly armed for an engagement. More importantly, did you send an extraction team for my witches, sir?"

"A squad of two paratroopers and a witch led by a Fuso intelligence officer is going in by parachute."

"Parachute?"

"Strikers would be detected on radar, and I am not going to be responsible for sparking a war."

"If they get caught, there likely will be, sir."

"That's a risk we're going to have to take, commander."

"…Who is the witch?"

"Miyafuji Yoshika."

Perrine, who had been looking for Rudel, hides around the corner, listening. Rudel recognizes the name. In fact, she had met Yoshika a few times. Back in the Second Neuroi War, she'd become known world wide as "The Guardian," destroyer of three hives and four hundred twenty seven Neuroi, protector of countless naval ships during battle, and life saving healer to hundreds of troops. Her retirement came the public as quite a shock, though not to her comrades, and had caused many problems in international politics for Fuso. During the few conversations Rudel had with her, she'd found her to be a kind, peace-loving girl, who enjoyed a quiet, simple life. The probability of her voluntarily rejoining is slim, meaning they used the UN drafting procedure. "You monsters." The words slip out of her mouth.

Had she been speaking to a Karlslandian or Fuso officer, she'd likely have been punished and demoted, but the Liberion man does not display any sign of anger. "She joined on her own accord."

"In other words you took advantage of her caring personality."

"We merely convinced her to join the cause."

Rudel shakes her head. She knows very well what they had done, even if she wasn't there. Yoshika is the type of person who wouldn't hesitate to risk her life to save that of another, especially if that person was her friend. Rudel cannot believe the nerve of this man, to get Yoshika involved in war again after losing Sergeant Bishop. "Do you know what she went through in the last war?"

"She was a hero."

"That's what the media portrayed her as. I said, do you know what she went through! How dare you bring her back into this! You have no clue how badly the war affected her mental state! She lost a close friend-"

'Lover,' Perrine corrects in her mind.

Grell shouts, "People die in war, Wing Commander Rudel! If you don't know the risks, you have no business joining the military!"

"Don't give me that! Who were forced to enter military academies? Who fought off enemies the army and navy couldn't? Who saved humanity? Whether we liked it or not, we had no choice!" Perrine runs from her hiding spot and grabs Rudel's hand, stopping her rant.

"Please stop, Hanna. This isn't like you. Just calm down."

"This guy-"

"Yes, I heard. But what's done is done. It's too late to do anything about it now. Understand?" Rudel meekly nods. Perrine shifts her attention to Grell. "Having said that, I'd like you to know, sir, that I don't appreciate, and I'm certain everyone else from the 501st wouldn't either, you bringing in Yoshika through such means."

"Objection noted."

Perrine nods, then leads Rudel away. They walk in silence for a while until Rudel says, "I'm sorry, Perrine."

"It's fine. He deserved it. But I would be sad if you got reprimanded and sent somewhere else." Perrine looks through a window and sees a plane landing. She gasps. "That must be Wing Commander Sakamoto! Let's go and greet her, Hanna!"

Rudel lets herself be pulled by Perrine and sighs. 'Why does she seem so much closer to Sakamoto, when we're on a first name basis?'

It is now night for the Joongwo Empire, and not a single soul could see the extraction team descending from the sky. Even though she has not flown for over three years, falling down from fifteen thousand feet still felt natural to Yoshika. The landing was perfect, and all four landed within one hundred feet of each other. Once assembled, Agent Yamato clears his throat and speaks. "Squadron Leaders Charlotte Yeager and Takei Junko should have landed within a mile of this area, and, if anywhere, they likely moved north or west of here. If Squadron Leader Yeager's condition gets close to being fatal, Squadron Leader Takei will likely fire a flare. We don't want that because it'll alert the Joongwon Army, which is why we have to find them soon. I will lead the group, with Flight Lieutenant Yoshika behind me. You paratroopers will stay about fifteen feet behind, watching out for any threats I from behind…What are your names again?"

"Sergeant Garrett Nickelson, sir."

"Private First Class Edward Donnelly, sir."

"Right. Don't fire unless fired upon. And don't get distracted the girl's presence." Yoshika had outgrown her middle school sailor suit long ago, but today, she wears a true Fuso Navy sailor suit, without, of course, the pants.

Edward begins to stutter in embarrassment. "O-of course we w-wouldn't. Hahaha. We're trained after all and it's not like-"

Garrett hits him on the head, silencing the eighteen year old. "Yeah, we know." Garrett, twenty-one years old, was a veteran of the Second Neuroi War, and like all veterans from that war, he viewed witches not as humans, but as god-like saviors.

"Good. Then we best get going."

A slender, pale man, with squinty eyes and short black hair enters a room, head lowered in respect toward its occupant, General Qing Jia Zhang, second class noble and commanding officer of the north-western Joongwon border defense forces. "Forgive me for the intrusion, my lord. I have brought you the daily reports from all border guard stations, my lord."

The General is sitting back in his favorite leather couch, drinking rice wine, and admiring the ivory products, jewels, priceless antiques, gold, and other unnecessary goods that litter his room. "I see." He snatches the scroll from the messenger and begins quickly scanning the text, but stops halfway though. "Why…wasn't this reported sooner?"

"I have no excuse, my lord."

"Yes, you do. That idiot Base Commander Chan does not…How many Zeroes did we 'appropriate' from that Fuso cargo freighter last week?"

"If I recall correctly, six that were combat ready and the parts for twelve more. By now, the majority of them should be assembled, my lord."

"And how many striker units?"

"Three."

"Dispatch four of the fighters to scout region three." Striker units are scarce in the Joongwo Empire, as a mass production design has yet to be perfected, so General Zhang decides not to use them.

"…As you wish, my lord."

"You're don't comprehend the reasoning behind my order."

"Forgive me, my lord. It is my job to relay orders, not to understand them."

General Zhang nods. "That it is, but I shall explain it to you anyway. Yesterday, a small, but powerful signal appeared on a base's radar for a few seconds, before it disappeared. Now what could possibly be powerful enough to appear on radar, yet be small enough to be dismissed as a radar anomaly? I'll leave that to your imagination. Anyway, if this turns out to be what I think it is, I'll finally get that promotion I deserve." The messenger bows, and then silently exits the room. 'Looks like things are starting to get interesting again.' Zhang looks into his cup and frowns. 'I miss Gallian wine…' Of course, if he said that out loud, he would be executed immediately.

**A/N: The Joongwo Empire is the name I will use for the equivalent of China. It comes from the Mandarin pronunciation of "Zhongguo," which apparently means "China." Whether this is correct or not doesn't really matter to me though. I just needed a name other than "China." "Joongwon" will be the term for its people. I don't think there is a canon name for China's equivalent, or a canon history for it in the Strike Witches universe, but if there is, let me know, and I'll appropriately adapt the story to it.**

**In the next chapters, I'll be bringing in more of the 501****st**** witches.**

**Now, sorry for three things: 1) Introducing a lot of non-witch OC's. They may be difficult to remember, but I promise that they will not be mere plot devices. 2) The slow update. I'm pretty busy, even on weekends, and I write/type slow, so updates will continue to be slow for a while. If this series lasts until April, the update rate will probably speed up then. 3) The number of ***'s in this chapter. It will be less choppy from now on.**

**What I will not apologize for is the fates of Lynnette and Sanya.**


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